


Dance

by warriorofculture



Category: SpongeBob SquarePants (Cartoon)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:34:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25373224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warriorofculture/pseuds/warriorofculture
Summary: Squidward gets an invitation to a ballroom dance audition, but he has to have a partner
Relationships: SpongeBob SquarePants/Squidward Tentacles
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	Dance

He stepped outside his house and headed to the end of the walkway, where his mailbox rested. He opened the little door and extracted the letters inside, then headed back towards his house. As he walked, he glanced over the various pieces of mail.

“Hmm… junk, junk, bill… hey!” He stopped just in front of his door and held out an envelope that had his name printed on it in fancy cursive font. “This must be important, since it’s from the Bikini Bottom Dance Committee.” He dashed inside his house, closing the door behind him. He tossed the other letters on an end table before opening the remaining one. He pulled out the letter, unfolded it and read:

_Dear Squidward Q Tentacles,_

_You have been selected to participate in a dance audition  
_ _for the upcoming ballroom dance television special.  
_ _Please come to the following address with a partner in one week.  
Formal attire only._

He gulped. “A partner?” Under normal circumstances, he’d be ecstatic about getting a dance audition, but this was something entirely different. Ballroom dancing almost always required a partner, especially for something this prestigious.

“But I’m used to dancing solo,” he sadly murmured as he set the letter on his coffee table. How in the world would he be able to find a suitable dance partner, _and_ get in enough practise time in just one week?

Knowing he wouldn’t get any answers, he picked up his Krusty Krab uniform hat, placed it on his head and trudged out the door. He could only hope an idea would come to him soon, or this golden opportunity would slip right through his tentacles.

At the Krusty Krab, Squidward stood at the register as usual. He’d tried to read a magazine he kept at his workstation but couldn’t focus on any of the articles. His mind was too preoccupied with his letter, as well as his uncertainty about finding a partner. He thought over the women he knew: Sandy Cheeks, Pearl Krabs and Mrs Puff. Out of those three, the only one who might have enough grace to ballroom dance was Mrs Puff, but he knew he wouldn’t be comfortable even asking the boating instructor to dance with him, much less actually dancing with her. Pearl was out of the question; she could barely stand him as it was, and as a teenager who happened to be a cheerleader, she’d have no interest in ballroom dance. As for Sandy, she was friendly enough, but she was known for getting very physical, regardless if the situation called for it. He didn’t even want to consider asking her.

Which left him with nobody. He sighed. It seemed as though his one chance to get on television, and possibly become famous with his dancing, slipped right by him… and all because he didn’t have a partner.

“Any customers out there, Squidward?” An all-too-familiar voice called from the kitchen behind him.

“No, Spongebob,” he replied without turning around. There were a few fish at some tables, but they were already in the middle of eating. It was one of their slower points of the day, which Squidward knew would make the rest of his shift drag on for what felt like forever.

“Okay, I’m gonna do some cleaning back here,” Spongebob announced.

“Have fun with that,” Squidward muttered, then blew out another sigh.

Within a few minutes, he could hear some clattering coming from behind him. His curiosity piqued, he turned around and peered through the order window to see what the fry cook was up to.

Spongebob held a mop in one hand and gently pushed it a bit, then stopped and gave a little twirl around the handle. He danced on tiptoes at arm’s length from the mop, then moved back to it and held it parallel to his body as he bent forward. He straightened up and circled the mop a second time.

Squidward’s eyes widened. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear the dancing Spongebob was doing was quite similar to a waltz. But how in the world did the sponge know how to do such a dance?

An idea started forming in his mind, and almost instantly, he tried to crush it. There was no way that plan would work, and besides… “Uh, Spongebob,” he found himself saying.

“Yes?” Spongebob stopped his mopping and turned to the order window.

“I…” Squidward found it hard to speak. Of all the people in Bikini Bottom, of _all_ of them, why, _why_ did it have to be Spongebob? He swallowed and tried to continue. “I was wondering…”

“Wondering what?” Spongebob gave him a confused look.

“Er… W- Well, I have an invitation to an audition, see, and—”

“Oh! You want me to help you?” Spongebob grinned. “I don’t mind watching you practise.”

“It’s not that,” Squidward said, “it’s… it’s a dance audition, and… I have to have a… p- partner…” His voice trailed off, and he hoped the little sponge hadn’t heard the last bit.

“A partner?!” Spongebob’s eyes widened with excitement. “You want _me_ to be your dance partner?”

Squidward grimaced. “It’s not just any kind of dance,” he replied. “It’s ballroom dancing.”

Spongebob’s excitement vanished as confusion took over. “Ballroom dancing?”

“Yes, it requires a certain amount of poise and grace. Not just anyone can do such a prestigious style of dance.”

“And you want _me_ to join you for an audition?” Spongebob’s excitement returned. “I’d be delighted to be your dance partner, Squidward. When’s the audition?”

“In one week.”

“One week?!” Now the fry cook was horrified. “How am I gonna learn how to ballroom dance in only a week?”

“I already know how to do it,” Squidward explained, “so all you have to do is follow my lead. If you do as I say, we should be okay for the audition.”

“Sounds good to me, Squidward.” Spongebob grinned at him. “Shall we start tonight after work?”

“Um… sure.” Squidward felt the beginnings of dread creeping over him. He knew he was going to completely regret asking Spongebob to dance with him, but it was the only option he had.

* * *

That evening, Spongebob found himself in Squidward’s gallery. The octopus had pushed all his painting supplies and music stand against the walls, so they’d have more room to move. The little sponge gazed around the room, admiring all the paintings that hung on the walls. He always enjoyed seeing Squidward’s handiwork.

Squidward entered the room, a small box tucked under his arm. “Alright Spongebob, first things first. Since ballroom dancing requires a man and a woman, you’re going to have to learn how to dance the woman’s part.” He held out the box and lifted the lid, revealing a pair of black high-heeled shoes. “You’ll wear these, so you can get used to dancing with them.”

Spongebob gazed at the shoes. He’d worn high heels before, but never for dancing. “Are you sure?” he asked uncertainly.

“Do you want to help me with this audition or not?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Then you’ll learn to dance in these shoes.”

“Okay…” Still feeling uncertain, Spongebob pulled off his shoes and replaced them with the heels. Surprisingly, they fit him perfectly. “Wow, this is better than I thought,” he remarked, trotting around the gallery to test them out. “Where’d you get these shoes, Squidward?”

“Nevermind that, we need to start practising.” Squidward moved to stand in the centre of the gallery. “Now, come over here.”

“Okay!” Spongebob did as he was told, standing a few feet away from Squidward.

The octopus hesitated, knowing what he had to do next and dreading it. However, his desire to go to the audition won out and he reached down to hold Spongebob’s hand. The little sponge looked up at him in confusion.

“Follow my lead,” Squidward instructed. He took a step forward, then a step to his right and brought his feet together. Spongebob scrambled to keep up. He then took a step backwards, then a step to the left before bringing his feet together a second time. Again, Spongebob did his best to follow. Squidward did the same steps, with Spongebob having an easier time with it as they stepped together.

The two did these steps a few more times before Squidward stopped. “That was called the box step,” he explained. “It’s one of the basic steps used for ballroom dancing.”

“Oh, I get it!” Spongebob smiled. “So it’s left forward, then right and together. Then right back, then left and together.”

“Yes. Doing that in a sequence is the box step.”

Spongebob nodded. “I think I understand.”

“Did you know you’ve also learnt two dances?”

“I did?!”

“Yes, the waltz and the rumba. The box step is the basic step used for both of those dances. Now, let’s try this.” Squidward let go of Spongebob’s hand, turned to face him, then held the sea sponge’s right hand with his left tentacle. He moved a little closer to Spongebob before placing his right arm around him. “Put your arm here,” he instructed, nodding to his right arm.

Spongebob obeyed, placing his left arm over Squidward’s right and his hand touched the octopus’ shoulder. “Like this?”

“Yes. Pay close attention to what I’m doing, and make sure to keep following my lead.” Squidward started moving in a box step, but since Spongebob was facing him, the little sponge had to make his steps opposite.

Spongebob misstepped a few times, but he soon got the hang of the movement. Within minutes, the two were doing the box step in perfect sync. “Hey, I’m doing it!” Spongebob grinned again.

“For making this into a waltz,” Squidward said as they kept moving, “we have to make wider, deeper steps.” He did so, causing Spongebob to misstep again.

The sea sponge only grunted in frustration, but soon grew used to the movements again. “Like this, Squidward?” he asked.

“You’re getting the hang of this rather quickly,” Squidward commented, a bit of surprise in his tone.

“I have a good teacher.” Spongebob smiled warmly.

At this, Squidward missed a step and tripped over his feet, tumbling to the floor. Since Spongebob was still holding onto him, he also went down in a heap. Squidward grumbled as he untangled himself from the sponge and stood. “Wh- What do you mean by that?” he sputtered.

Spongebob gave him a puzzled look as he got back on his feet. “Just what I said, you’re a good teacher.”

Squidward blinked, unsure of what to say. He hadn’t expected the compliment, nor the warm smile that accompanied it. In fact, it felt as though the warmth from the smile had raised his own body temperature. “Uh… y- yeah, sure.” Squidward cleared his throat. “S- So, do you think you know how to do a waltz now?”

“Uh-huh!” Spongebob nodded. “It’s a little harder to do with these shoes, but I’m sure it’ll get easier with more practise.”

“Then you’ll be glad to know the rumba isn’t much different from the waltz. Are you ready to try that dance?”

“Of course!”

Squidward pushed down his embarrassment from earlier as he and Spongebob moved to face each other and put their hands in the same position as before. He decided not to tell the little sponge he was starting to get used to having him as a dance partner, too.

* * *

They spent the next several days practising the various dances Squidward taught, and soon had a good routine going. Two days before the audition, Spongebob was instructed to practise with the outfit he’d be wearing, since it would be harder to move around in, much like with the high heels.

“What outfit am I wearing?” Spongebob asked.

“Since you’re dancing the woman’s part, you’re going to dress like one,” Squidward replied.

“Why?”

“Er, because…” Squidward faltered. “B- Because… ballroom dancing is done with a man and a woman, and the judges think I’ll have a woman with me.”

Spongebob raised an eyebrow. “I wonder why it has to be that way…”

“It just is, alright? I don’t want to get disqualified just because I don’t have a female partner, so you’re going to pretend to be one.”

“Um, okay.”

“I’ve already got an outfit for you,” Squidward said, “but since you need to completely look the part, you’ll have a wig as well. And you’ll be wearing makeup.”

“Ooh, okay.” Spongebob smiled. “What will you be wearing, Squidward?”

“I have a tuxedo. Since I can already dance in it, I’m not worried about it. I’m more concerned with how you’ll be dancing in yours.”

“Can I try it on now?”

“Yes, let me get it for you.” Squidward walked to the edge of the room, where he picked up a long, flat box. “Here’s the dress…”

“Yay!” Spongebob quickly crossed the room – he’d grown completely accustomed to walking and dancing in heels at this point – and took the box. He removed the lid and gazed at the glittering red dress. “Wow, Squidward, this is a really fancy dress,” he commented, carefully lifting it from the box. “Are you sure you want me to wear this?”

“I’m sure. Go ahead and try it on, and when you’re done, I’ll get the wig.”

“Okay!” Spongebob pulled on the dress, adjusting here and there as he slipped his arms through the straps. He gave a little twirl and noted how the skirt of the dress flared out as he moved. “This is such a pretty dress.”

“Here’s the wig.” Squidward stepped closer to Spongebob and placed it on his head, then shifted it around a few times to make sure it looked real. It had short, dark brown hair pulled back into a small ponytail but left a few tendrils of fringe dangling over Spongebob’s forehead. It was a mature, daring look; certainly not something the little sponge would typically wear.

“Can I see how I look?” Spongebob asked.

“Sure.” Squidward gestured to a full-length mirror on the opposite side of the gallery.

Spongebob made his way to the mirror and gasped as he saw his reflection. “Whoa, I’ve never had a look like this before.”

“You’ve also never been to a ballroom dance audition before,” Squidward pointed out. “We’ll worry about the makeup later. For now, we need to start practising; there’s only two days left, and you need to get used to dancing with that dress and wig.”

“Do you think we’ll pass the audition?” Spongebob asked as he returned to Squidward’s side.

“I can only hope,” Squidward muttered as they moved to stand in position. “We’ve got two days, so we need to practise as much as possible so we can impress the judges.”

“Okey-dokey, Squidward.” Spongebob smiled as they began their dance.

* * *

On the day of the audition, Squidward could hardly think. He barely slept, too, and his mind wasn’t on anything other than the audition. Thankfully, the auditions were on Sunday, so he and Spongebob had the day off work.

As he waited in the gallery for his neighbour to arrive, Squidward paced the floor, mentally going over the routine they’d worked on all week. Using some music of Squidward’s choice, they’d start with the waltz, then transition to other dances, raising the level of difficulty as well as keeping the judges guessing on what they’d do next. It wasn’t too complicated for the octopus, but since Spongebob had never done ballroom dancing prior to this, it largely came down to how well he’d be able to pull it off whilst fully dressed like a woman.

Squidward stopped his pacing, coming to a halt in front of his mirror. He looked over his tuxedo, then adjusted the crimson bow tie around his neck. He’d made sure their colour scheme matched, with plenty of reds and blacks. Now, if only Spongebob would come over, they could get in one last practise before going to the audition.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Squidward opened the window and gazed down at the ground level. Spongebob, in full dress and wig, looked up at him. “Hi, Squidward!” he called, waving a hand.

“Come on up.” Squidward gestured for him to come inside.

Within moments, Spongebob stood in the gallery. “Um, Squidward, what are we gonna do about the makeup?” He pointed to his face, which currently had no makeup on it.

“I’ll take care of it. Go sit on that chair,” he gestured to the chair in question, “and I’ll handle the rest.”

Spongebob did as he was told, and Squidward picked up a small case from the side of the room. When the octopus approached, he opened the case and knelt in front of Spongebob, who leaned over to look inside the case. “Wow, I didn’t know you knew how to apply makeup,” he marvelled.

“I, er… didn’t,” Squidward admitted as he reached into the case and took out a small container of powder.

“Then how do you know what to do?”

“Hold still.” Squidward frowned as he pushed Spongebob to an upright position, then opened the container. “I researched it,” he explained as he carefully applied the powder. “There are several books on the topic at the library, so I checked a couple of them out and read them.”

“You did that just for me?” Spongebob couldn’t help but grin. “You are so—”

“I said, hold still,” Squidward interrupted. “That includes making faces. Just keep quiet until I finish, alright?”

Spongebob almost replied, remembered what he’d been told and kept his mouth closed. Squidward resumed applying the makeup, going from the powder to blush, to eyeshadow and mascara. Finally, he held up a small tube.

“This is the last one,” he stated.

“Ooh! Can I put on the lipstick?” Spongebob asked. “I know how to put that on.”

“Let me do it since you might put on too much. Now, tilt your head back.”

Again, Spongebob did as he was instructed. Squidward uncapped the lipstick and hesitated. He’d worked without thinking for the rest of the makeup, but now that he was going to be very close to Spongebob’s lips, he started to feel uncertain. About what? He wasn’t sure how to even answer his own question. He felt Spongebob’s gaze on him; though the little yellow sponge still had his head tilted back, he could see Squidward just fine, and a puzzled look overcame his features.

Squidward mentally shook himself. Why was he getting worked up, anyway? He forced all the insecurities and questions out of his mind and focused on finishing the job. After the lipstick was applied, he recapped the tube and returned it to the case. “There, all done.”

Spongebob straightened up again. “Is everything okay, Squidward?”

He blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, the way you seemed to not want to finish applying my makeup.” Spongebob pointed to the lipstick on his lips, which shimmered a deep crimson.

Barnacles, his emotions were more apparent than he’d realised. Squidward decided to avoid answering the question. “Nevermind that, we’re going to be late.” He pointed to the clock on the wall.

“But there’s—”

“We have just about enough time to go over the routine one last time,” Squidward interrupted, “so let’s run through it before we go.”

“Alright…” Spongebob didn’t look very pleased about Squidward’s avoidance but stood and followed him to the centre of the room.

* * *

The auditions were held at the Bikini Bottom Theatre, where each couple would dance through their routine on stage and the judges, seated in the front row, would grade their performance. Spongebob and Squidward arrived on time and joined the other couples.

Squidward leaned close to Spongebob and spoke softly. “Remember, your name isn’t Spongebob, it’s Rebecca. And we’re friends who wanted the chance to prove themselves as ballroom dancers.”

“Okey-dokey, Squidward.” The little sponge smiled, then caught himself and cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice had a more falsetto tone. “I mean, okay, Squidward.”

Squidward straightened himself and gulped. “This will never work,” he muttered.

When it was their turn, Squidward’s name was called, and they were led to the stage. The two spotted the judges in the front row, as they should be. Squidward counted three of them before the one on the left spoke up. “Start as soon as you’re ready, Mr Tentacles.”

“Y- Yes, sir.” He turned to Spongebob. “Ready, Sp—er, Rebecca?”

Spongebob nodded, and Squidward placed his cassette into the nearby boombox. Once he pressed the play button, he moved into place and got into position. The moment the music started, Squidward took a deep breath and led the dance, starting with the waltz. Spongebob followed his lead perfectly, not missing a single step. They transitioned into the swing dance, which required extra-careful footwork, but neither slipped up. They continued their dance, shifting from one style to another; Spongebob’s dress flared at each spin and twirl, providing an excellent contrast to Squidward’s primarily black ensemble.

Both dancers were lost in the music and the dance, and hardly seemed to notice when the song ended. They’d stopped at the proper time, of course, gazing at each other whilst trying to catch their breath. The sound of applause broke their focus, and Squidward let go of Spongebob as quickly as he could. The little sponge pinwheeled his arms but managed to regain his balance.

The clapping came from the judges, who all wore big smiles. “That was some of the finest dancing I’ve ever seen,” the judge in the middle remarked. “It couldn’t have been easy shifting from one dance style to the next without using the same basic steps.”

“I’d say they’ve passed, wouldn’t you?” the judge on the left asked of his companions, who nodded. He turned back to the pair on stage. “Congratulations, Mr Tentacles, you and your partner will be going on the show in a month.”

Squidward gasped. “Really?”

“Yes, we’ll send you further instructions in the mail.”

“Oh, thank you!” Squidward grinned. “You won’t be sorry you chose me… er, us.” He turned towards Spongebob. “Come on, Rebecca, we’ve got a lot more practising to do.” He strolled offstage.

“W- Wait for me!” Spongebob barely remembered to raise the pitch of his voice as he jogged after Squidward. Unfortunately, one of his heels caught in the gap between the stage boards, and his shoe popped off as he found himself falling to the floor. He didn’t have time to yell before his face hit the floor, and he felt his wig fall off his head and roll ahead a few feet.

Spongebob pushed himself up and stared at the wig in shock and horror. “S… Squidward…” he murmured, not changing his voice.

The octopus heard the commotion behind him and turned around before gasping a second time. “No…!” Immediately, his gaze darted to the judges.

All three sat in stunned silence. After several long minutes, in which Spongebob took the chance to raise himself to a sitting position and freed his shoe from the board, the judge on the right spoke up, his face showing his disbelief. “You mean to tell me… both of you are men? We just witnessed a ballroom dance conducted by… by…”

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen such a thing,” the judge on the left commented. “In all my years of dancing and judging for dances, I’ve never come across a couple comprised of two men.”

Squidward was too terrified to say anything, feeling his hopes of going to the show starting to crumble. He didn’t dare look at Spongebob.

The leftmost judge regarded his companions again. “It’s highly unconventional, but with the stunning show they’ve just put on, I think we should still let them on the show next month. What do you say?”

The judge in the centre nodded, and the one on the right said, “I agree it’s unconventional… that’s why, if they go to the show next month, they should both dress as men. It’ll certainly drive up ratings if people saw how these two can dance.”

Squidward could hardly believe what he was hearing. “Y- You mean…”

“Yes, you two are still going on the show next month,” the leftmost judge replied before looking at Spongebob. “What’s your name, son?”

“Spongebob Squarepants.”

“Well, Mr Squarepants, you’d better get used to dancing in regular shoes again, since you’ll be joining Mr Tentacles on television next month.”

“Hooray!” Spongebob grinned as he climbed to his feet and turned to Squidward. “How about that, Squidward? We don’t have to pretend anymore!”

“Uh… yeah.” Not sure what sort of word to put on how he was feeling, he grabbed the little sponge’s wrist and pulled him offstage. Spongebob grabbed the wig on their way out but didn’t say anything as he was led outside the theatre.

Once they were outside, Squidward let go of his neighbour’s wrist but didn’t move any further. He kept his back turned, trying to calm his emotions and figure out what it was he felt. Apprehension? Excitement? Fear?

Spongebob watched Squidward for a few moments, not certain what to say or do. Finally, he decided to speak up. “Is everything alright, Squidward?”

“No, it’s not alright.” Squidward didn’t move. “I just wanted to get through this audition and get rejected as usual and go back to my life. I’m glad I… we passed, but then… then…” He shook his head, uncertain how to continue.

Spongebob was unusually quiet as he mulled over Squidward’s words. It sounded as though he was happy he passed the audition, but was unhappy about something else. Was it because Spongebob’s disguise failed? Or perhaps it was Spongebob himself who caused his unhappiness? Any way the sea sponge tried to look at it, all the figurative fingers ended up pointing at himself. He didn’t know how Squidward truly felt about his choice in a dance partner, but it wasn’t a positive feeling.

“…I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, Squidward.” Spongebob lowered his gaze.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t really understand how you’re feeling about all this, but I know it’s because of me. So I’m apologising. I tried my best, I really did…” He tightened his grip on the wig in his hands as he fought back his tears. “I didn’t want to disappoint you at the audition, and I thought we did very well. I… I didn’t mean to trip earlier, and…” He trailed off, knowing if he continued, he’d start crying.

“Spongebob.”

“Yeah?”

“Look at me.”

He did as he was told, surprised to see Squidward not only facing him, but standing almost as closely as they normally did when dancing. “Squidward—”

The octopus held up a tentacle. “Listen. I really didn’t expect to _get_ this far. I honestly thought I wouldn’t even be able to go to the audition, since I’m used to dancing alone and I didn’t think there was anyone else in town who could do a ballroom dance.” He paused to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “But you’ve proven me wrong, Spongebob. No, you didn’t know how to do the dances, but you learned, and helped me get to this point. I wouldn’t be able to go to the show next month if it wasn’t for you. I…” He held out an arm, poised over Spongebob’s head, but left it there for a moment. “I- I should be thanking you for everything you’ve done, for going along with the disguise without a complaint.” He lowered his arm and awkwardly patted the sponge on his head.

“Squidward, I—”

“We’ve got a lot of practising to do for the next four weeks.” Squidward spoke briskly as he moved his arm back to his side. “You’ve got to get used to dancing without the heels now, and we’ll have to come up with a different routine for the show. Are you ready to get back to it tomorrow after work?”

“I’m ready!” Spongebob grinned.

* * *

The two spent every moment of their free time practising over the following four weeks. Spongebob quickly grew accustomed to dancing in his regular shoes and could tell Squidward was also getting less awkward around him, regardless if they were dancing or working. Soon, they were also talking about their routine frequently, even while at work.

To Squidward, it felt as though every waking moment was spent thinking about their routine and what they expected at the show. Spongebob was at his house far more than normal, though much of that time was spent in the gallery, where they discussed the routine and practised each step of the dance. It was incredibly nerve-wracking, and he desperately wished the day would come so he could get the whole thing over with.

He didn’t know how Spongebob felt about the matter, since the sponge’s thoughts were on the dance and he discussed almost nothing but that. He practised with Squidward without complaint, even when he grew tired; at one point, he almost collapsed from exhaustion, but pushed himself back up, apologised, and resumed practise. Squidward had never seen him so dedicated to something like this, even when it came to making Krabby Patties.

At long last, the day of the show arrived. It was held on a Friday evening, so neither had to worry about asking for any time off; they changed into their tuxedos at the Krusty Krab when they finished work and immediately took off for the arena where the show was being filmed. Squidward drove them in his boatmobile to save time. When they arrived, Squidward showed the pass he’d been mailed to the guards at the door, and they let him and Spongebob inside.

They walked down a dimly lit hallway before emerging into a sort of conference room. Several other couples milled about, talking with each other. Everyone seemed calm and collected, which surprised Squidward, who was having a hard time staying upright from his shaking. He didn’t recognise any of the other contestants – another surprise, since he was sure he’d see Squilliam Fancyson amongst the dancers – so he hung back from the others, leaning against a wall.

Spongebob surveyed the crowd and was about to start introducing himself when he realised he was alone. He turned and saw his dance partner standing a good distance away, so he trotted over to his side. “What’s the matter, Squidward?”

The octopus shook his head. “Aren’t you nervous, Spongebob?”

“Well, yeah, but if we talk with the others, it’ll help take our minds off it.”

Squidward averted his gaze. “I… can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I just… That’s not what I need right now.” He rubbed his arm absently. “I just need to focus on our routine.”

Spongebob hesitated. He knew his neighbour and co-worker hated unwanted physical contact, and he honestly was surprised he’d spent so much time maintaining contact with him all the time they’d practised. However, this was something else, and he hoped he wasn’t overstepping his boundaries as he moved a bit closer and touched Squidward’s arm.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” the little sponge said. “After all, this is a pretty big deal, even for me. But we’ve worked really hard to get to this moment, and I’m sure all our practising will pay off when we go out there.” He moved his hand underneath Squidward’s and gently lifted it before placing his other hand on top. “This isn’t a competition, so all we have to do is dance our best out there and know we did so.”

Squidward had been about to pull his hand away, but something about Spongebob’s gentle touch and warm hands kept him still. His nervousness also ebbed away as he gazed down at the sea sponge, who was smiling up at him. He felt his heart pounding and figured it was due to his nerves, though it didn’t explain why his face started feeling warm as well, and he realised he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the sky blue eyes that watched him with care and… something else?

“S… Spongebob, I—”

“All dancers report to the stage!” A voice called out.

The spell broken, Squidward yanked his hand back. “W- We’d better get going,” he stammered as he pushed himself from the wall. Spongebob wordlessly followed.

On the stage, the dancers gathered. Squidward looked around and spotted several cameras positioned both on the floor and hanging from various fixtures against the walls. The cameras would be able to get many kinds of good angles of the dance floor and dancers.

“Attention, everyone!” Another voice shouted, causing the dancers to fall silent. The group shifted so the director fish could be seen. He held up a rolled script. “This is a live show, so you only get one take for everything. Pay close attention to my instructions.

“First, everyone enters the stage and gets into four rows of five. When the music starts, everyone dances a waltz as our overhead camera,” he pointed to a camera mounted to a mobile unit over their heads, “pans over you. You must stay with your partners the entire time; don’t get separated. The announcer will talk about the show, then the music will fade and everyone will leave the stage.

“Each couple will be assigned a number, and when your number is called, you’ll come back out onto the stage and go through your routine. When you’re done, exit to the doors over there.” He used the script to point to a set of double doors opposite the way they’d come in. “Follow the hallway to the waiting room; you’ll be shown the way from our stagehands. Stay there until you’re called back out. Any questions?”

He was answered with silence. “Good. Now, get ready for the show!” He turned and walked away.

Squidward was about to say something when another fish shoved him and Spongebob into a row with a couple in front and behind them. When he looked to the right, he saw a third couple, but the edge of the stage was on his left. It took him a moment, but he realised he and Spongebob were the only pair comprised of two men. The other nineteen groups had a man and a woman, just as the judges had told them the previous month. He also remembered how they were accepted onto the show to drive up ratings, which dashed his hopes of making a good impression. They were only there as a novelty, nothing more.

Spongebob took notice of his partner’s expression and took his hand before gently squeezing it. Squidward looked down at him, distress on his features. “It’s okay,” Spongebob spoke in a low voice. “We’ll get through this together.”

Squidward opened his mouth to reply when a card was pressed into his other hand, and he, Spongebob and the other dancers were ushered back into the hall. He looked down at the card and saw “12” written on it in black marker. He had to give the showrunners credit; at least they weren’t making a total spectacle of him. They weren’t in the centre of the stage, nor were they first or last in line. He tucked the card in his jacket pocket, then realised Spongebob was still holding his other hand. It had felt so natural at this point, it was easy to forget the little yellow hand wrapped around his tentacle.

“What number did we get?” Spongebob asked.

“Twelve,” Squidward replied, avoiding his gaze.

“Is everything okay?” Spongebob’s voice held a note of concern.

Squidward didn’t answer right away. What could he say? He was unhappy at their being at the show, since he knew it was only for the concept of two men ballroom dancing. He had grown accustomed to being in close contact with Spongebob for long periods of time, to the point that he didn’t mind when the little sponge held his hand. He wasn’t sure what he felt when it came to Spongebob, since the little guy obviously cared for him so much and put in more than a hundred percent when it came to their practising.

He decided to go with the one he could articulate better. “I… I’m just wondering why we’re here,” he finally answered.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, why did we decide to go along with this? You know we were only selected to go on the show because we’re both guys and it gives the show a chance to have higher ratings.”

“That’s not true, Squidward.”

The octopus looked down at him. “What…”

“Remember when we’d danced before the judges, and they loved our performance? That’s what they were interested in more than anything else. It was even more impressive such a difficult routine was done with two guys, which further cemented our passing the audition. We aren’t here just because we’re the only pair made up of two guys; we’re here because we can _dance_.”

Squidward’s mouth hung open. “Sp… Spongebob…”

“The show’s starting!” One of the fish at the front of the line shouted, and they were bustled back out onto the stage.

The group moved into the same formation they’d been in just moments before, and when the music started, they each took hold of their partner and started dancing a waltz. Squidward tried his best to ignore the cameras, even the one that passed over their heads. He could hear an announcer talking about the show, but he kept his focus on keeping his steps in rhythm with the music, and on Spongebob, who was watching him as they danced.

The music faded, and the groups made their way through the doors and into a line. After some hushed discussion over the numbers, each pair stood in line in the order they’d be called. Squidward peered over the heads of the fish in front of him, seeing the doors in the distance. Since they would be the twelfth pair to dance, they had a long wait ahead of them.

“Looks like we’re in for a wait, huh?” Spongebob said, echoing his thoughts.

“Uh, yeah…”

“Squidward.” Spongebob moved around so he was facing Squidward, who had leaned against the wall again.

“Y- Yes?”

“Are you still having doubts about this?”

“A little,” he admitted.

“Do you remember what I said earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Just focus on that and think about why you like to dance. Personally, I like dancing because it’s fun and it’s great exercise.” Spongebob smiled at the thought. “What about you?”

“Er…” Squidward hesitated. He hadn’t thought about the “why” of dancing in such a long time. “W- Well, I dance as a means of self-expression…”

“But why do you _like_ to dance?”

He didn’t respond, as he had no answer. Instead, he turned his gaze to the wall on the opposite side of the hall, above Spongebob’s head. He wished he was anywhere other than there and wished he didn’t have to confide in the little sponge. Again he wondered why, of all people in Bikini Bottom, he ended up with the one who caused him so much grief, anger and stress as a dance partner.

But did Spongebob really cause him to feel that way?

“Squidward?”

He blinked, looking down at the little yellow sponge who was carefully observing him.

“Do you know why you like to dance?”

Squidward rewound his thoughts to the question and shook his head. “No,” he softly admitted.

Spongebob took hold of his hands once again, his touch just as gentle as before. Squidward felt a pang in his chest at the contact but wasn’t sure why it happened. “It’s because it’s fun, isn’t it?” Spongebob’s voice was as serene as his touch.

Squidward felt heat rising in his face as he tried to make sense of his thoughts; they’d become muddled at the sponge’s words. _Fun_. It wasn’t something he’d really given thought to lately, since everything in his life seemed as though it was routine or something he was obligated to do. Even his painting, clarinet playing and dancing felt like chores he had to slog through every day.

_Fun…?_

Was anything fun?

He felt a jolt as Spongebob used his thumbs to lightly massage the back of Squidward’s hands. It was almost like an electric shock, though there was no pain, only… what?

Spongebob kept his gaze on him, and Squidward realised he didn’t recognise the emotions that resided in those blue depths. His heart pounded harder in his chest, and he found it difficult to swallow.

“Is it?” Spongebob repeated, his voice still soft.

“Y… Yes,” Squidward whispered.

He half-expected the little sponge to yell in triumph, but he only smiled at him and murmured, “I thought so.”

“Wh- Wha… What…” Squidward tried to find his voice. “What are you…”

Spongebob blinked, seemed to realise what he was doing and let go of Squidward’s hands as his cheeks coloured. “Oh! I- I’m sorry, Squidward.”

Squidward raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t seen Spongebob acting like that before, and it was even more mysterious how quickly he reverted to normal. What was going on with the little sponge?

* * *

“Number twelve!”

Squidward pushed himself away from the wall and turned to his partner. “Come on, Spongebob, it’s our turn.”

Spongebob, who had been quiet for the rest of their wait, silently followed him as they made their way to the stage. Squidward decided not to comment on it, instead moving into position in the centre of the stage. Spongebob stood in front of him and they held their arms in the correct place; Squidward noted how natural it felt.

Spongebob finally spoke up again. “Let’s do this,” he whispered just as the music started.

The two began their dance; it was similar to what they’d used for their audition, but the order had changed and lasted longer. Their steps matched perfectly as they switched from dance to dance, twirling around the stage. As before, Squidward let his thoughts drift away as the music led him and Spongebob through the dances. It was almost as though they’d been dancing together their entire lives, both perfectly complementing each other with their movements. This time, when Squidward looked at Spongebob whilst they danced, he didn’t mind the brilliant blue eyes watching him; in fact, he enjoyed it a bit. He could tell with the way the little sponge was looking at him that he felt the same.

Before they knew it, the music ended, and they remained in their ending pose for several long moments, each transfixed in the other’s gaze as they caught their breath. A soft, but sharp voice from the shadows offstage broke their focus and they straightened up before Squidward led Spongebob offstage.

He tried to keep his thoughts at bay whilst they walked down the hall towards the waiting room; Spongebob only trotted behind him. The waiting room had tables and chairs; the other dancers were seated at most of them. Squidward found an empty table and sank into a chair whilst Spongebob sat beside him, still saying nothing.

Since they had to wait on eight other couples, Squidward’s thoughts came in a rush, and he covered his face with his hands as he propped his elbows on the table. Just what happened out there on the stage? What was with Spongebob’s gaze on him, and why did he like it? Why was his heart beating so hard? Why—

A light touch on his arm forced his thoughts to a stop. “Squidward?” A familiar voice spoke softly from beside him.

“What?” He didn’t move.

“Are you okay?”

“…No, I’m not.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.” He could feel tears threatening to come, and he tried his best to force them back.

“But—”

“Just… not now, Spongebob.” Squidward could hear the tremor in his voice and hoped his neighbour didn’t.

To his surprise, Spongebob fell silent once again, and the hand on his arm moved away. Squidward gritted his teeth against the onslaught of emotions that came over him, most of which he couldn’t identify. All he knew was that he wanted Spongebob to put his hand on his arm again but didn’t dare say so out loud. Instead, he kept his hands on his face, blocking out all sight, and focused on keeping his breathing steady.

Some time later, he heard someone call out, “Number twelve?”

Squidward lowered his arms and blinked in the sudden light as Spongebob turned in the direction of the voice. The sea sponge waved a hand and said, “We’re right here!”

A fish crossed the room to stand nearby them. “We need you back out on stage, right now.”

“Okay.” Spongebob hopped from his seat and turned to Squidward, who also stood.

The two followed the fish towards the double doors that led to the stage. The fish opened one of the doors. “When you hear your names called, go out onto the stage.”

“Uh, okay.” Squidward was confused but waited and listened.

“Although this isn’t a competition,” a voice from the stage said, “we’re giving out an honorary award to the couple who showed the greatest skills and creativity in their dance. It was unanimously chosen this year, which is a first for this show. The winners are also a first for the show, as they are group number twelve, Squidward Tentacles and Spongebob Squarepants!”

Squidward gasped as Spongebob grabbed his wrist and half-dragged him onstage. He could hardly believe it; although there wasn’t an award they were competing for, they were still getting one?

They stopped in front of a nicely dressed fish; they hadn’t seen her before. She held out a trophy to them, which Squidward took. He hardly noticed when the fish held out a microphone and said, “How does it feel not only being the only couple made up of two guys, but also winners of the honorary award?”

“It’s great!” Spongebob gushed into the microphone. “It was worth all the hard work Squidward and I put into our practises.”

“Did you think you’d get an award for being the best dancers?”

Spongebob shook his head. “We knew it wasn’t a competition, but we still wanted to do the best we could with our routine.”

“And what about you, Mr Tentacles?” The fish held up the mic to him. “Any thoughts on your routine and getting an award for it?”

Squidward, who’d been gazing at the trophy, looked up at the microphone before him. “Uh…”

“He’s excited, too,” Spongebob said as he grabbed the mic. “We both worked really hard and had a lot of fun, isn’t that right, Squidward?”

“…Right.”

The fish yanked the mic back from Spongebob. “Well, I’m glad you two enjoyed yourselves, and hopefully we’ll see you here again next year.” She turned towards the camera and kept talking as a stagehand gestured for Spongebob and Squidward to leave the stage.

They did as instructed, exiting through the doors from which they’d came. The hallway was surprisingly vacant, as was the waiting room. “Where did everyone go?” Spongebob asked, looking around the room.

Squidward set the trophy on a table. “Maybe they went home,” he guessed.

Spongebob shrugged. “I dunno.” He turned away from the doorway and walked over to the table. “Can you believe it, Squidward? We danced so well, we actually got a trophy for it. And it wasn’t even a competition!”

“Yeah…” Squidward gazed at the trophy again, remembering their dance. The wave of emotions that had overwhelmed him before was threatening to return, and he mentally braced himself.

That concentration was almost instantly broken the moment Spongebob touched his hand before taking hold of it once again. “Listen, Squidward, I want to thank you for letting me join you for the audition and show,” the little sponge began. “I know dancing means a lot to you, and I wanted to do my best to help you pass the audition. I didn’t mean to give away my disguise that night, but it worked out for the best, right?”

Silence.

“U- Um, anyway…” Spongebob nervously continued. “I’m very happy you finally got a trophy, too. You know you can keep it in your house, since I know it means more to you. I—”

He was cut off when Squidward suddenly grabbed his free arm and pulled him close. Before Spongebob could say anything, Squidward wrapped his arms around him and pressed their lips together. Spongebob’s eyes widened in shock, but he soon closed them and wound his arms around Squidward, letting his own emotions wash over him as he realised it was his first kiss, and it felt so good.

After several moments, they pulled apart, gazing at each other. Squidward seemed to realise what he’d just done, immediately let go of Spongebob and backed away a few paces. “I- I- I- I…”

Spongebob, too, seemed at a loss. He slowly lifted a hand to touch his bottom lip, which still tingled with the memory of feeling Squidward’s lips against his own. He’d never thought such a thing would happen, but he knew he wanted to experience the sensation again, especially with Squidward. He wanted to keep dancing with Squidward, even though there was no audition, no show. He still longed to wrap his arms around the octopus and dance the night away, then when they were done, they’d share a passionate kiss under the moonlight.

He lowered his arm once it dawned on him why those thoughts came to mind. Did he feel such a way because of all the time they’d had to spend together? Was it because of their closeness during their practises? Or was it because of the excitement of their performance and winning an award for it?

No.

He could tell, deep inside his heart, the answer was already there; it always had been. Their dancing was only the key needed to unlock the door to those feelings.

He opened his mouth.

“Sp- Spongebob…”

“Yes, Squidward?”

“I… I need to be honest with you. I…” He rubbed his arm absently. “I didn’t say anything before, because I didn’t know what was going on. All those times you’d asked me if I was okay, if something was wrong, I… I just didn’t know what I was feeling. But now… now I do.” He let his arm drop to his side as he gazed at the little yellow sponge before him. The same sensations from before returned: the heart pounding, the pang in his chest and the electric jolt. “I… I love you, Spongebob.”

Spongebob’s eyes filled with tears, and he let them flow unchecked as he smiled broadly. “Really?”

“Y- Yes.”

“So do I, Squidward.”

“Wh- What?”

Spongebob tried to wipe away his tears to no avail. “I love you too, Squidward. I mean, I know I’ve said it before, but I… I’m _in_ love with you.”

Squidward blinked back his own tears as he stepped closer to Spongebob once again. “Then shall we pick up where we left off?”

Spongebob kept smiling as he wound his arms around Squidward. “Absolutely.”

Squidward held the little sponge as close as he could as their lips met again; the love they held for each other was easily felt by the other as they let their emotions carry them away. They knew they would share many more dances together in the future.

**Author's Note:**

> saito_burrito on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/saito_burrito) drew fanart based on this fic; unfortunately she deleted the tweet but I have the pic saved on my [deviantart sta.sh](https://sta.sh/074zhpy4tze)


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